Step 3: Paint and Hot Glue Extra Stuff

I use a touchpad GPS regularly at work and lost the pen stylus a long time ago; it was inconvenient anyway trying to hold the stylus, GPS unit, and drive an ATV at the same time. So I made some finger stylussss?Stylii? from old water jug handles for work. For this Instructable I added some extra parts for fun Steampunk styling.

Step 1: Cut Handle Out of Water Jug

This is simple, just cut out a small section from the handle of the jug. Slip it over your finger and use a marker to draw a shape to make a pointer. Cut out the shape of the stylus pointer with some scissors.

Step 2: Plain Stylus Finish

Briefly hold the tip of the stylus in a flame to round it and keep it from being scratchy.
That's it for a plain finger stylus. Go to the next step to Steampunk it.

Step 3: Paint and Hot Glue Extra Stuff

Getting a sense of Steampunk style takes a little intuition and internet browsing for ideas. Steam water tanks, brass, copper, rivets, hoses, gears, adjustment screws, leather, and levers come to mind when I think of this design style.
I spray painted a base coat of silver onto the stylus; then I added some gold Victorian style picture frame stickers from the hobby store sticker section. Finally, with hot glue I added some circuit board components and a brass screw.

I may need to make one of these but I also wanted to say to those making it out of metal, maybe there is a way to add something to the edge so that it doesn't harm a touch screen. There is this stuff you dip handles of tools into to make them more grippy and it really holds on, you could paint some of that on the edge as a buffer of liquid plastic.

I was just thinking about using some copper pipe for one, and just painting the tip in some kind of hot glue, or resin? Perhaps paint the whole outside so it doesn't look out of place. Will look into the tool handle coat too.

This is nothing short of incredible. I *am* steampunk, and this lil gadget incorporates everything that steampunk is - DIY spirit, function, and aesthetics. Truly marvelous. I think I'd make the screw a little smaller myself, but it's awesome nonetheless. Good job!

This IS a very cool springboard project! Now I want to fabricate one from copper or brass for a better heft and longer life. Perhaps that will be my task over the long weekend. Thanks for the inspiration!

That is incredibly wicked. I'm totally making one for my friend for his DS (and then one for me for my DS, and maybe a cute, Japanese-styled one for my other friend for her DS (because she'll be using it as a kanji dictionary when she goes to Japan), and maybe a Zelda one for my other friend... The possibilities are endless! Thanks for this awesome idea!